'Brand Rajkot' to give fillip to SME sector

There are nearly 25,000 industrial units in Rajkot district, 98 per cent of which are micro, small and medium enterprises, according to the REA

The Rajkot Engineering Association (REA) is working on building 'Brand Rajkot' to ensure that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) reap benefits out of it. As part of this effort, the REA will organise an international trade exhibition in the city to allow SMEs to showcase and market their products.

"Branding is the need of the hour for SMEs. It is challenging, as SMEs in Rajkot don't have much knowledge about it. By developing 'Brand Rajkot,' our aim is to provide SME players in Rajkot a bigger platform," said Gokul Patel, president, REA.

To promote 'Brand Rajkot,' REA will invite national and international delegations to participate in the exhibition to be organised in November this year. Top officials of auto, plastics, machine tools, submersible pumps and other sectors are expected to participate in the exhibition.

Patel said, "Rajkot is already known across India and in international markets. But we want the delegates to know what new is happening in the Rajkot engineering sector. We expect this exposure will provide new business opportunities for small companies and manufacturers."

Currently, engineering industries in Rajkot are not doing well because of the slowdown in the economy and the rise in price of raw materials over the past year.

"Rajkot industries have some of the best skills but they don't know how to market them. REA will help them in building brands and after the exhibition we plan to launch a web portal named 'Brand Rajkot'. The portal will contain all details about the Rajkot engineering industry," said Jayesh Radadiya, secretary, REA.

On the need for marketing and branding, Azaz Motiwala, chairman and managing director, IKON Marketing Consultants, said, "In an economic slowdown, SMEs must recognise that the game is ultimately customer retention and attraction, and this can be done by branding. They must focus more and invest in brand-building to increase market share."

The REA will conduct a survey and collect details of individual units to develop the portal. There are nearly 25,000 industrial units in Rajkot district, 98 per cent of which are micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), according to the REA.